FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This document will provide answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the implementation of BCeSIS into First Nations schools in British Columbia. This document is intended to answer specific questions about BCeSIS, so page numbers have been provided for easy reference.
FAQ’s include:
Ø The System (Page 1)
Ø Goals of BCeSIS (Page 3)
Ø Funding (Page 4)
Ø BCeSIS Security & Student Confidentiality (Page 4)
Ø Technology (Page 5)
Ø Human Resources (Page 6)
Ø Training (Page 6)
Ø Helpdesk (Page 7)
Ø Independent schools (Page 7)
Ø Implementation Waves (Page 8)
Ø Communication (Page 9)
THE SYSTEM
What is BCeSIS?
BCeSIS is the British Columbia electronic Student Information System. It is an Internet-based student information database which was endorsed by the Ministry of Education for use by all school districts in British Columbia.
What does “Internet-based” mean?
The BCeSIS database itself is ‘housed’ on a server in a secure location but end-users within individual schools and school districts with the appropriate permission(s) to use it, access BCeSIS through an Internet browser. (i.e. Internet Explorer).
How do I access BCeSIS?
If your school decides that you have permission to use BCeSIS, to enter or review student demographic data, attendance, grades etc, secure access to the system will be set up for you by a Systems Administrator. This access will be restricted to information concerning students in your school, and maybe just to students in your class and maybe only one element of the database concerning those students, such as attendance. Your security permissions will depend on the role you perform in your school and the role your school deems you should perform, as regards student information.
What will I need to access BCeSIS?
You will access BCeSIS with a User Name and a designated password. These will be provided to you by a Systems Administrator.
How useful will BCeSIS be for First Nations schools, if it has been developed for provincial schools?
The basic functions of BCeSIS can apply to First Nations schools as well as provincial schools as all schools need to be able to capture pertinent information regarding students in attendance. While BCeSIS has been designed to accommodate the specific needs of the provincial schools (letter grade orders, reporting, graduation requirements etc.), the First Nations BCeSIS Implementation team (the team) has endeavored to review all of the similarities and potential differences in practices between First Nations schools and provincial schools. Where differences have been identified, the team has recommended mitigating actions or systems enhancements which will assist in the efficient implementation of BCeSIS within First Nations schools.
Can all students be entered into BCeSIS? Do students need anything ‘special’ to be entered into BCeSIS?
BCeSIS is currently restricted to K-12 students who are 5 years of age and over. In order to be entered into BCeSIS, a student must be eligible to have a Personal Education Number (PEN). At the time of the drafting of the Implementation Plan, the BC School Act does not permit the Ministry of Education to grant PEN’s to students who are educated outside the provincial school system. As part of the implementation process, the Ministry will draft an amendment to the School Act[1] to allow PEN’s to be granted to students of First Nations schools. Additionally a student needs to be five years of age and older to be granted a PEN.
If a student has to be over 5 years of age, does this mean that pre-K and Nursery students cannot be entered into BCeSIS?
Yes. For now as the legislation reads, a child under the age of five is not eligible for a PEN and therefore cannot be entered into BCeSIS. The team has highlighted this as a unique difference for First Nations schools as many offer pre-Kindergarten education. The team has requested that the amendment to the legislation would also address the need to lower the age limit on PEN assignment.
Can adult students who are upgrading be entered into BCeSIS?
If adult students have not yet graduated and are working toward an adult graduation or are completing courses to graduate, they can be entered on BCeSIS.
Will all First Nations schools be able to implement BCeSIS?
Like any information system, a need and existing infrastructure must exist, in order for BCeSIS to be worthwhile implementing. Many First Nations schools are very small and remote. They may have only 5 students or they may only offer nursery and Kindergarten. Their Internet connectivity may be poor to non-existent. During the drafting of the Implementation Plan (Plan), the team has examined the various challenges that exist in these types of schools. When analyzing the configuration of First Nations schools, from an objective standpoint, approximately 50% of First Nations schools do not meet the size, grade offering or Internet connectivity requirements of BCeSIS. However these schools account for only 19% of the total First Nations schools population. While the Plan does not automatically discount those schools, it does prioritize the schools which have fewer barriers to implementation. Part of the implementation will be to support these smaller schools which don’t initially meet the eligibility requirements and to find some mechanism to implement if possible, and if desired.
GOALS OF BCESIS FOR FIRST NATIONS SCHOOLS
Why do First Nations schools want BCeSIS?
There are many benefits of BCeSIS being implemented into First Nations schools:
Standardization: Currently in First Nations schools in BC, there is no consistent student information database. Schools use a variety of methods and software programs to track student information including paper files. The introduction of BCeSIS will provide one consistent student database which can be used by a majority of First Nations schools.
Movement of Staff: If staff moves between the First Nations and provincial school systems, they will already be familiar with the student information system.
Efficient Transfer of Student Data: As a student moves from a First Nations school to a provincial school all of the information pertaining to that student does not always follow him/her. BCeSIS will allow for all information pertaining to a First Nations student to efficiently move between the education systems. When a student transfers a new school can effectively ‘pick up’ a student in BCeSIS once they have been withdrawn by their last school.
Consistency: A standardized database will allow for consistent reporting, training and functionality across First Nations schools. Teachers and administrators who move within the First Nations schools can transfer their BCeSIS skills and knowledge as they move between schools.
Reporting: BCeSIS provides many standard and ad hoc reports which will be of great value to First Nations schools, in their efforts to collect data and report out to stakeholders.
FUNDING
Who is paying to research whether BCeSIS is a good fit for First Nations schools?
To date, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) has paid for the research and work which has been undertaken to see if BCeSIS could be successful in First Nations schools. This has involved costs for an independent contractor, to support a part-time FNESC staff person, training for pilot schools, the development of an Implementation Plan and consultations with the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education has contracted Fujitsu Consulting to work with the First Nations Implementation team to develop the Implementation Plan.
How will BCeSIS be funded in First Nations schools?
When this project was first initiated it was hoped that First Nations SchoolNet (SchoolNet) would fund a good portion of BCeSIS including training, license fees, Helpdesk support etc. As the future of SchoolNet remains uncertain so too, does the funding source for BCeSIS. FNESC has submitted a request for funding for 2007/2008 in its annual work plan to INAC but this has yet to be confirmed. It is hoped that the BCeSIS project can be funded on an ongoing basis by INAC.
How much does BCeSIS cost per student?
First Nations will be charged an annual license fee of $20[2] per FTE student. This cost is invoiced on a monthly basis so that only students who are within a school at any given month are charged for.
How will other shared services such as training, Administrator costs and Helpdesk services be paid for?
As per the question above, it is hoped that INAC will cover the costs of the shared services for BCeSIS.
BCeSIS SECURITY & STUDENT CONFIDENTIALITY
If BCeSIS is on the Internet, how is a student’s personal information going to be secure?
The student data is stored in a secured location with the appropriate physical and electronic barriers to protect data. Furthermore data is transmitted across the Internet using encryption levels that meet or exceed standards used by banks. Access to individual student data is determined by the school and only those that need access to that data will have access. Personnel who work on the BCeSIS servers and databases have received extensive background and criminal checks.
Can the Ministry of Education, go into BCeSIS and look at information on students in First Nations schools?
No person in the Ministry has access to the data in BCeSIS. Because BCeSIS is owned by the member districts and schools (i.e. First Nations schools), and only endorsed by the Ministry, the Ministry has no right to the data or access to the data. Data that is needed by the Ministry to meet legislative requirements (i.e. 1701 reports or TRAX) is provided by schools to the Ministry, and NOT extracted from BCeSIS by the Ministry.
How can parents be sure that only school staff members who are supposed to have access to their child’s information, have access to BCeSIS?
Access to BCeSIS is granted by individual schools. As such the primary decision maker(s) (i.e. Principal or school administrators) in each school determine the access levels that each staff member should have. Teachers that have been granted access to BCeSIS may only have access to data for their class and their students. For example the Math teacher for Johnny Smith, cannot see Johnny Smith’s Social Studies grades. Another example is that the secretary may only be able to see students’ attendance records and not grades or discipline reports. Staff members who do not need access to BCeSIS will not be given access to BCeSIS. Access is granted on a ‘need to know’ basis and not a ‘want to know’ basis.
TECHNOLOGY
What kind of technology infrastructure does a school require to implement BCeSIS?
A school requires some basic technological infrastructure in order to implement BCeSIS as well as fairly robust Internet connectivity. Below is a table which outlines the minimum technology requirements for a school.
REQUIREMENT / MINIMUM STANDARDComputer / · 512MB RAM of memory
· 40 GB Hard Drive
· Central Processing Unit (CPU) of 750 Megahertz.
Operating System / · Windows 2000SP1 or Windows XP
· MAC OS 10.2.8 or greater
Internet Browser / IE6 on Windows and Safari 1.2 on MAC
PDF Reader / Adobe Acrobat 6.0.1
Internet Connectivity / High speed Enhanced, Wireless, T1, Cable, DSL
What if our school does not meet these requirements?
If a First Nations school lacks the technology infrastructure to implement BCeSIS, it does not mean that they will necessarily be unable to do so. The team will be working with these schools to identify the barriers and to work towards potential solutions to these barriers. If a First Nations school meets the requirements at a later date they will be worked into the plan by the team.
HUMAN RESOURCES
What type of human resources does a school need to successfully implement and use BCeSIS?
A school needs to have one, but preferably two administrators/teachers who can dedicate the time to be trained on BCeSIS and then the time to implement BCeSIS within the school and manage it on an ongoing basis. The expectation is that these two staff persons will be long-term employees who will be willing to learn the system and have the ability to train others within the school.
How much time will the administration/teaching staff have to spend on BCeSIS?
The time needed for BCeSIS training will be the same whether a staff member comes from a school of 30 students or a school of 400 students. It is anticipated that total training time will be a maximum total of two weeks, divided into the two stages of the implementation roll-out and ideally broken down into training modules of several days. However, once back in the school, the time which will need to be committed to BCeSIS on a daily or weekly basis will depend on how the school decides to use the system and how many students the school has. Schools should expect more time to be dedicated to BCeSIS in the first year of operation as staff are getting comfortable with the system. There will be additional and on-going refresher training throughout the school year that tie in with business events. For example refresher training on report card setup and printing just before reports are typically due. This refresher training is normally only an hour or two long and delivered over the Internet.